15 unique (and fun!) baby shower ideas

From an eco-friendly party to an Alice in Wonderland soiree, these baby shower themes are sure to make your celebration a day (or night) to remember.

Cherry blossoms (real or faux) alongside bowls of clementines and tangerines lend an easy vibrant orange and pink colour scheme. Store-bought edamame and dumplings are the perfect, simple appetizers for mommies who haven’t been able to indulge in sushi for a while.

Indoors or out, go for a fun English vibe and choose mismatched floral teacups and linens from your cupboards or check the nearest flea market. Potted flowers and herbs make simple and beautiful décor, not to mention useful and welcome prizes for guests.

A celebration for a starlet in-the-making. Have a volunteer act as "paparazzi" by taking candid shots of guests upon arrival and have everyone write their names on gold star stickers instead of plain name tags. Serve appetizers in movie theatre-style popcorn boxes from craft or party supply stores and break the ice with a celebrity baby name quiz.

An explosion of all things girlie, think champagne glasses (even if you’re not serving champagne!), plump strawberries, a pink-hued candy bar and top it all off with a glittering tiara for the mom-to-be.

Set the stage for the impending festivities with an invitation from the Queen to play croquet. Scatter chess pieces and playing cards on the table and use as coasters and place settings. Serve tea and pretty petits fours. Want to go the extra mile? If the shower is the warm months, construct a chessboard in your yard with tape and play human chess for an unexpected game that will delight guests.

A brown-and-blue colour scheme, complete with bandanas used as napkins, is the perfect setting for a casual menu of ribs, rotisserie chicken and potato salad. Dessert? Licorice rope (or lassos), of course. Don’t forget cowboy hats.

Hang well wishes from guests on faux trees or branches (find them at craft stores) and serve tasty coconut “nest” cupcakes topped with fondant birdies. Egg-shaped soaps make for both cute decorations and a gift that guests will appreciate after the party is over.
Where to Buy? Robin’s egg blue soaps, from $4, genesisbodycare.com

For the mom-to-be who doesn’t do cutesy, throw a co-ed casino-themed shower that includes soon-to-be dad and friends and comes complete with poker chips in glass vases, red votives, cigars, casino-shaped chocolates and martini glasses filled with jelly beans.

Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss? Start by sending out Baby Seuss invitations, then get lots of red, blue and yellow streamers and balloons to pay homage to this childhood fave. Deviled eggs made green with food colouring are a must. Seuss plates, cups and table runners are fun additions. Get guests to write messages to the new babe in a copy of the classic Seuss book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go and present to mom. A basket with the book, Seuss-themed burp cloths ($13), bibs (from $7), hooded towels ($13) and onesies (from $10) will make a great gift.
Where to Buy? Book, $23, chapters.indigo.ca
Burp cloths, bibs, hooded towels and onesies, seussland.com

For nature-lovin’ moms, reduce, reuse and recycle is the name of the game. Set the table with stones for place settings and beeswax candles for ambience. Cap it off with organic juice and fair-trade coffee and tea. For this occasion, evites are best, but recycled paper or seed paper that may be planted by the recipient make great eco options.

Make sure that mom-to-be is prepped no matter what the days will bring once Junior arrives. Assign guests with certain “times” in which they are to buy a gift: bedtime blanket, playtime bouny chair, mealtime booster seat, bathtime tub, etc. Have the guest-of-honour guess what “time” the gift represents.

Invite guests to shower the lucky baby with their favourite childhood titles (think Goodnight Moon, Stories of Winnie the Pooh and Curious George). A cake topped with gummi (book) worms is a tasty dessert.

Twig napkins, woven chargers, bananas, limes and bright flowers all set the stage for an affordable tropical paradise that the travel-loving mama is sure to enjoy.

If the mom-to-be is expecting twins, double the fun with a shower to celebrate multiples with an abundance of green pea balloons alongside a menu of “doubles:” double-decker sandwiches, double chocolate cake, Dubble Bubble gum, etc.